Ejindro
by GhedahrianVampress
Summary: To the average passerby, Ejindro was nothing more than a haunted village in ruins, but to Saurva, it was so much more...


To the average passerby, Ejindro was nothing more than a haunted village in ruins, but to Saurva, it was anything but. The fire-demon had just finished up business for Ahriman in Veldt, business that had left him with a heavy heart and a head full of thoughts. With a bit of time to waste before he had to return to Ahriman, he decided to visit the one place on this earth that still held some meaning to him … Ejindro.

It wasn't at all like he remembered it. To him, it seemed like only a few mere days had passed since he was last there, and yet he knew deep down that it had been centuries. Time had definitely taken its toll. The village was now desolate, save for a few ghosts, none of which remembered him. They glanced his way as he strolled through, but otherwise paid him no heed. The memory spell they had placed under appeared to be working well.

That suited him just fine. It was for the best that they didn't remember him, or the tragic history of their village. If only he too could forget. He didn't want to remember the memories that tied him to this place. They hurt him more than he cared to admit. He wasn't supposed to care. He wasn't supposed to feel anything but rage towards the humans who had driven him down the path he had taken. These memories did him no good and only made his role in the destruction of the world even more difficult.

Yet, as hard as he tried, he could not seem to rid himself of them. For centuries he was locked away in the deepest depths of the Demon Realm, and there he managed to be rid of them for a while, but no sooner was he free then they resurfaced. And of course, it didn't help that Ahriman had sent him to steal the soul of the one Druid he had hoped to never see again.

It was her fault … it was her fault that he was unable to let go of the past. She had betrayed him, choosing to fight for the humans rather than join him on destroying them. After all they had done to both of them, she still chose to protect them. She was a fool.

And yet, he couldn't ignore the twinge of pain he felt in his chest when he stole her soul, reducing her to nothing but a cold empty shell. Seeing her in such a state had broken the heart he thought he had lost in ages past. He didn't know how it was even possible. He was a Daeva, meaning that he wasn't supposed to have a heart, or at least not one that worked. A demon's heart was supposed to be evil and without emotion, something that this whole situation had proved to be untrue.

Then he saw it … The Head of the Village's house … His house … he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of it, feeling as if he too had been turned to stone. At that moment, a vision of the past overtook him.

He saw the house, as well as the village as a whole, restored to its original state. The villagers were as he remembered, alive and prosperous. Even though they were well underground, the air was still fresh and crisp as if they were above ground, a feat made possible by the joint powers of himself and the other village leaders.

He saw the human version of himself, leaving the house, followed shortly after by a beautiful woman with long white hair and forest green eyes, heavy with child, and after her, a young boy with the same hair but with rich brown eyes like his.

_"Must you go now, Haq'an?" _Her voice echoed through his ears like a familiar melody. _"Surely you can postpone the hunting trip by another week or so."_

The human version of him, once known by the name of Haq'an Ravenfoot, shook his head. _"You know I cannot, wife. Winter is approaching, and it is my responsibility as the founder and head of the village to ensure that everyone has enough food to survive."_

The woman sighed, pressing a hand to her swollen belly. _"I know, but I dread to think that I might have the baby before you return. What if something happens to me? I nearly died when Der'eq was born."_

Reaching out, Haq'an caressed her cheek with a calloused hand. _"I have no doubt that you will pull through once more with your life. You are a strong woman."_

She leaned into his touch. _"Just promise me that you'll return as soon as you can."_

_"You have my word, my beloved Hera."_

With those words and a farewell hug from both his wife and son, he parted ways with them, not knowing the horror he would return to find.

Saurva balled his fists as the vision passed, fire briefly inflaming his hands before he forced his rising anger back. Even though the place held many troublesome memories, he could not bring himself to destroy it.

When it came right down to it, the house was still his home. It was the village that he had founded as a retreat for those with dark and dangerous magic, much like him. It was the place where he and his family had lived ... the place that his children were born …

He often wondered what had become of his children … Ahriman had been ready and willing to offer all three of them a place within his ranks, ensuring their safety, but _she_ had betrayed him, hiding the children somewhere only she knew to supposedly protect them from him and his master.

Though he searched the world, he never found them. Eventually, he was forced to give up when the great battle commenced. Then he was shut away in the Demon Realm with no way out.

He assumed that they had grown up to be powerful mages, marrying and having families of their own. Though he wasn't sure if this was a good thing. What if he were to unknowingly kill one of his own descendants? Would he be able to recognize them or would he slaughter them under Ahriman's orders without knowing who they were?

He quickly shook such thoughts from his head. Those were dangerous thoughts to have.

After a few more moments of staring blankly at the house before him, he forced himself to turn and walk away, not wanting to think on the past for even a moment longer, fearing that he would doubt himself and decisions he had made if he did so.

Besides, he had been gone for quite a while. Ahriman would be waiting to hear news of his success.


End file.
